Source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
Plans have been floated for a new superscraper in Miami that could steal the world’s tallest crown from Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. Despite Miami’s financial woes, having a reported 100,000 plus properties in foreclosure according to the Miami Herald, Kobi Karp has submitted designs for Miapolis – a ‘city within a city’ planned for Watson Island.
The 160 storey building would be more than 183 metres higher than the Burj Khalifa if built and would house an amusement park, observatory, restaurants, 1.96 million sq ft of shops, over 1000 apartments, 1 million sq ft office space and a 792 room hotel. The project has been around for more than a decade but it is reported that developer Guillermo Socarras has been in talks with the Federal Aviation Administration to secure approval for the height of the tower.
But is this really the way to solve Miami’s financial problems? The business plan found on the official Miapolis website proposes that the skyscraper will be more than a rival for the Burj. It claims that the superscraper will create 35,000 permanent jobs, pay off $39 million debt owed to the City and inject $2.5 billion annually into the local economy.
“Miapolis is an economic engine…” states the Miapolis website, “and a sensible and rational solution for the local economy by resolving the Jungle Island debts while producing $942 million annually in tax revenues, and no taxpayer funds required. More importantly, Miapolis creates 46,000 construction and 35,000 permanent jobs.”
The project is currently looking for funding from investors.
